American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 0.5% in May after falling 1.4% in April. In May, the index equaled 117.1 (2015=100) versus 116.5 in April. “The transition in the freight market continued in May with the index hitting the second highest level since the pandemic started. Specifically on the market transition, ATA’s tonnage index is dominated by contract freight. The traditional spot market has slowed as freight softens, but these contract carriers are backfilling any losses in freight with loads from shippers that is reducing spot market exposure,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Essentially the market is transitioning back to pre-pandemic shares of contract versus spot market. “Overall, economic indicators that are important to trucking slowed in May, including retail sales, housing starts, and manufacturing output,” he said. Compared with May 2021, the SA index increased 3.7%, which was the ninth straight year-over-year gain and the largest since April 2021. In April, the index was up 2.5% from a year earlier. In 2022, year-to-date and compared with same period in 2021, tonnage was up 2.7%.

Trucking activity in the United States slipped in May as the freight market remained choppy. Specifically, truck freight tonnage decreased 0.1% after gaining 0.5% in April, according to the American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index. “The seesaw freight demand pattern continued in April, making it difficult to discern any clear pattern in the market,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Excluding the services economy — the largest part of economic activity— the goods market is all over the map, thus impacting freight levels. Construction is soft, manufacturing is up and down, and consumers are cautious.” In May, the ATA advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index equaled 113.8, down from 113.9 in April. The index, which is based on 2015 as 100, was down 1.3% from the same month last year, the first year-over-year decrease in 2025. Year-to-date, compared with the same period in 2024, tonnage was up 0.1%.